Multi-functional indoor air quality control system

ABSTRACT

A multi-functional air quality control system including an air conditioner system member for regulating air temperature, an exhaust system member for regulating air pollution, a dehumidifier/humidifier system member for regulating humidity in the air, a sensor for monitoring indoor air quality conditions and for sending control inputs to a control unit for controlling the operation of one or more of the system members based on the monitored air quality conditions and one or more user-selectable operating settings, a control unit for controlling the operation of the one or more system members based on control inputs received from one or more sources, and a housing unit having a cavity in which is mounted the air conditioner system member, the exhaust fan system member, the dehumidifier/humidifier system member and the control unit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a control system, and more particularly to an air quality control system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, an air conditioner, a dehumidifier, and an exhaust fan can only be controlled in a single home by installing each device as three separate units. Since all of these units are traditionally mounted in separate windows, people living in small apartments often end up with all of their windows being rendered unusable by the presence of these appliances. Many have to deal with the expense and work involved in purchasing and installing these separate devices. Hence, it is desirable to provide a way to install all three units in a single home without having to use multiple windows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the following specification and appended claims, and by referencing the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary view of a multi-functional indoor air quality control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein describe a multi-functional air quality control system including an air conditioner system member for regulating air temperature, an exhaust system member for regulating air pollution, a dehumidifier/humidifier system member for regulating humidity in the air, a sensor for monitoring indoor air quality conditions and for sending control inputs to a control unit for controlling the operation of one or more of the system members based on the monitored air quality conditions and one or more user-selectable operating settings, a control unit for controlling the operation of the one or more system members based on control inputs received from one or more sources, and a housing unit having a cavity in which is mounted the air conditioner system member, the exhaust fan system member, the dehumidifier/humidifier system member and the control unit.

In some exemplary embodiments, the system includes a computing device to wirelessly transmit and receive signals, wherein a software application is installed on the computing device for controlling the operation of the sensor.

In some exemplary embodiments, the software application installed on the computing device allows a user to control the system from a remote location.

In some exemplary embodiments, the system includes a remote control for controlling the operation of the system members while a user of the remote control is in close proximity to the system.

In some exemplary embodiments, the user-selectable operating settings represent threshold values for the air quality conditions which trigger a change in operation of the one or more system members.

In some exemplary embodiments, the sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements for measuring current status values for each air quality condition.

In some exemplary embodiments, the sensor triggers the change in operation of the one or more system members when the measured current status values for any of the air quality conditions exceed a corresponding threshold value for the air quality condition.

In some exemplary embodiments, the change in operation of the one or more system members is to turn off the one or more system members to an inactive state.

In some exemplary embodiments, the change in operation of the one or more system members is to turn on the one or more system members to an active state.

In some exemplary embodiments, the air quality conditions include air temperature, air humidity and air pollution.

In some exemplary embodiments, the sensor monitors the indoor air quality conditions in a room.

In some exemplary embodiments, the sensor includes a network interface for receiving and sending wireless signals over the Internet.

In some exemplary embodiments, the sensor is configured to be mounted in a ceiling.

In some exemplary embodiments, the control unit includes a network interface for receiving and sending wireless signals over the Internet.

In some exemplary embodiments, the housing unit is configured to be mounted in a window or a partition.

In some exemplary embodiments, the housing unit includes one or more control selectors for manually controlling the one or more system members.

In some exemplary embodiments, the system members can be controlled manually, by remote control, or with a software application on a computing device.

In some exemplary embodiments, the air conditioner system member includes a pair of air conditioning shutters, an air conditioner blower, and an air conditioning compressor.

In some exemplary embodiments, the exhaust system member includes a pair of double exhaust out fans.

In some exemplary embodiments, the dehumidifier/humidifier system member includes a humidifier blowing fan, wherein the dehumidifier/humidifier, when operating as a humidifier, uses condensation water being created by the air conditioner as refill water for the operation of the humidifier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a multi-functional air quality control system for providing a single unit with the combined functionality of an air conditioner, exhaust fan and dehumidifier/humidifier. The system is housed as a compact unit and is designed to be mounted in a window. This design eliminates the need of having to use multiple windows to install an air conditioner, exhaust fan and dehumidifier/humidifier.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the multi-functional air quality control system (“the system”) 10 includes an air conditioner system member (References 12, 13 and 14), an exhaust system member 15, a dehumidifier/humidifier system member 16, a control unit 17, a sensor 18, a remote control 19, a computing device 20, and a housing unit 21. The air conditioner system member, exhaust system member, dehumidifier/humidifier system member and control unit are mounted in a cavity in the housing unit as a single compact unit. The housing unit is configured to be mounted in a window 22 or a wall partition.

The air conditioner system member includes a blower 12, a compressor 13, and a pair of shutters 14. The blower can be any suitable motor for pushing air out into the room. The compressor can be any suitable compressor for compressing the Freon refrigerant. The pair of shutters can be any suitable side insulation panels.

The exhaust system member 15 includes a pair of double exhaust out fans. The exhaust out fans can be any suitable fans for venting air pollutants. The dehumidifier/humidifier system member 16 includes a humidifier blowing fan and can operate as a dehumidifier or a humidifier. When operating as a humidifier, the water condensation from the compressor 13 in the air conditioner system member (12, 13, 14) is used as refill water. Any suitable dehumidifier/humidifier may be used.

The control unit 17 controls the operation of the air conditioner system member (References 12, 13 and 14), an exhaust system member 15, a dehumidifier/humidifier system member 16 and is operatively connected to each system member. The control unit is located on the front side of the housing unit and includes a plurality of control selectors for manually controlling the operation of the system members. The system members may be manually turned on and turned off from the control selectors.

In addition to the manual control inputs, the control unit 17 may receive control inputs for controlling the system members from sensor 18 and remote control 19. The control unit and the sensor both include network interfaces for sending and receiving wireless signals over the Internet. The network interfaces may include transceivers that wirelessly communicate with each other and the communication means may be Bluetooth™ communication module or other types of wireless communication module such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, band, wireless communication specification. Zig-bee, or the like.

The control unit also includes infrared (IR) light technology for interfacing with the remote control. The remote control may control the system members so long as the user using the remote control 19 in within a limited distance from the system.

The sensor 18 monitors indoor air quality conditions and sends control inputs to the control unit for controlling the operation of the air conditioner system member (References 12, 13 and 14), the exhaust system member 15, and the dehumidifier/humidifier system member 16 based on the monitored air quality conditions and the one or more user-selectable operating settings. The air quality conditions are air temperature, air humidity and air pollution. In another exemplary embodiment, the air quality conditions also include carbon monoxide.

The sensor 18 is configured to be installed in a ceiling of an indoor area. The sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements for measuring the current status of the various air quality conditions in an indoor area. In a preferred embodiment, the indoor area is a room in a residential unit. The sensor includes a thermostat sensing element, for example, for sensing the current air temperature. The sensor 18 includes, for example, a hygrometer for measuring humidity. The sensor includes, for example, an indoor air quality sensor for measuring the indoor air quality (i.e., air pollution).

The user-selectable operating settings are threshold values for the different air quality conditions that are desired by the user. These threshold values trigger a change in operation of the one or more system members. The user-selectable operating settings may indicate a desired temperature, a desired humidity level and a desired air pollution level for an indoor region.

The sensor 18 triggers the change in operation of the one or more system members when the measured current status values for any of the air quality conditions exceed the corresponding threshold value for the air quality condition. The change in operation of the one or more system members may be to either turn off the one or more system members to an inactive state or to turn on the one or more system members to an active state.

In operation, for example, a user may set a threshold value for the air temperature to indicate the desired temperature that the user wants the room/indoor area to be maintained. For example, the user may select a threshold value for the temperature to be 68 degrees. The sensor 18 will monitor the temperature of the room/indoor area and if the measured temperature exceeds 68 degrees, then the sensor will send a control input to the control unit 17 to activate the air conditioner system member (12, 13 and 14) to cool the room/indoor area. If the sensor measures the temperature subsequently and the temperature is less than 68, then the sensor will send a control input to the control unit 17 to turn off the air conditioner system member

The sensor 18 may be controlled by a software application installed on computing device 20. The computing device 20 may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer or other mobile computing devices such as a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or the like.

The computing device 20 includes a transceiver to send and receive data or signals from sensor 18. The transceivers in the computing device and the sensor may wirelessly communicate with each other and the communication means may be Bluetooth™ communication module or other types of wireless communication module such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, band, wireless communication specification. Zig-bee, or the like.

The software application installed on the computing device receives control inputs and user-selectable operating settings for controlling the sensor and the system members from a user. The software application installed on the computing device allows the user to control the system from a remote location.

Accordingly, while example embodiments are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the figures and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit example embodiments to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure. Like numbers refer to like/similar elements throughout the detailed description.

It is understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.)

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art. However, should the present disclosure give a specific meaning to a term deviating from a meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill, this meaning is to be taken into account in the specific context this definition is given herein.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while the embodiments of this invention have been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the embodiments of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-functional air quality control system comprising: an air conditioner system member for regulating air temperature; an exhaust system member for regulating air pollution; a dehumidifier/humidifier system member for regulating humidity in the air; a sensor for monitoring indoor air quality conditions and for sending control inputs to a control unit for controlling the operation of one or more of the system members based on the monitored air quality conditions and one or more user-selectable operating settings; a control unit for controlling the operation of the one or more system members based on control inputs received from one or more sources; and a housing unit having a cavity in which is mounted the air conditioner system member, the exhaust fan system member, the dehumidifier/humidifier system member and the control unit.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computing device to wirelessly transmit and receive signals, wherein a software application is installed on the computing device for controlling the operation of the sensor.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the software application installed on the computing device allows a user to control the system from a remote location.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote control for controlling the operation of the system members while a user of the remote control is in close proximity to the system.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable operating settings represent threshold values for the air quality conditions which trigger a change in operation of the one or more system members.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements for measuring current status values for each air quality condition.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor triggers the change in operation of the one or more system members when the measured current status values for any of the air quality conditions exceed a corresponding threshold value for the air quality condition.
 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the change in operation of the one or more system members is to turn off the one or more system members to an inactive state.
 9. The system of claim 5, wherein the change in operation of the one or more system members is to turn on the one or more system members to an active state.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the air quality conditions include air temperature, air humidity and air pollution.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor monitors the indoor air quality conditions in a room.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a network interface for receiving and sending wireless signals over the Internet.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to be mounted in a ceiling.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a network interface for receiving and sending wireless signals over the Internet.
 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing unit is configured to be mounted in a window or a partition.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing unit includes one or more control selectors for manually controlling the one or more system members.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system members can be controlled manually, by remote control, or with a software application on a computing device.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the air conditioner system member includes a pair of air conditioning shutters, an air conditioner blower, and an air conditioning compressor.
 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the exhaust system member includes a pair of double exhaust out fans.
 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the dehumidifier/humidifier system member includes a humidifier blowing fan, wherein the dehumidifier/humidifier, when operating as a humidifier, uses condensation water being created by the air conditioner as refill water for the operation of the humidifier. 